Kansas winds

I spent several years living in Kansas, in the college town of Manhattan as well as the Kansas City suburb of Merriam. And many were the weekends when I’d hop in my car and drive aimlessly across the plains, stopping in small towns to meet the locals and find a meal.

Back then — more than a decade ago — turbines were a rare site. But much has changed since I’ve headed back to the East Coast. Someday soon I’ll have to head back to those backroads and look at the new wind farms that have popped up across the state.

Chief among those sites is the 5,000-acre owned by Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L). The 67-turbine facility outside Dodge City is now fully operational, according to a statement from the utility company.